Assault and Aftermath
In October 2005, Xavier was brutally attacked by a group of about twenty young men in New York City, in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. Despite various rumors about the attack—some suggested it stemmed from his granting the Latin Kings gang permission to publish one of his poems, "Waiting For God", which (ironically) dealt with police brutality while others suggested it was simply another gay bashing—Xavier believed the crime was a random act of violence. He later captured his experience in the poem "Writer's Block".
After the attack, Xavier experienced significant hearing loss. An MRI resulted in the discovery of an aural tumor which was surgically removed, but resulted in total loss of hearing in one ear.
Read more about this topic: Emanuel Xavier
Famous quotes containing the words assault and, assault and/or aftermath:
“We have long forgotten the ritual by which the house of our life was erected. But when it is under assault and enemy bombs are already taking their toll, what enervated, perverse antiquities do they not lay bare in the foundations.”
—Walter Benjamin (1892–1940)
“Among women.—”The truth? Oh, you don’t really know what ‘the truth’ is! Isn’t it an assault on all our pudeurs?””
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“The aftermath of joy is not usually more joy.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)